Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary
Main Entry: im·bro·glio
Pronunciation: im-'brOl-(")yO
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -glios
Etymology: Italian, from imbrogliare to entangle, from Middle French embrouiller -- more at EMBROIL
Date: 1750
1 : a confused mass
2 a : an intricate or complicated situation (as in a drama or novel) b : an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding c : a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation : EMBROILMENT